ROOSEVELT AND CHURCHILL men of secrets (David Stafford World War II History) by David Stafford (84 Reviews)    Price verified 2 hours ago

A THOROUGH EXAMINATION OF THE VITAL RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN TWO OF THE MOST SIGNIFICANT STATESMEN DURING WORLD WAR TWO. 'However much they valued their special relationship, neither man allowed it to trump national goals. David Stafford's fascinating book is a useful reminder of how complicated the Grand Alliance actually was.' New York Times 'An intriguing book which makes a very good read.' Irish Independent 'A swift, well-documented assessment of the relationship's "volatile mix of friendship, rivalry and resentment".' Kirkus Reviews 'Much of this book upsets accepted views... Stafford has the precious gift of making technical subjects easy to follow; he writes clearly, and maintains a strong narrative flow. This is most readable history.' The Sunday Times Roosevelt and Churchill were titans of the twentieth century with a unique relationship. It was based on interlinked national histories, partially shared nationality (Churchill was half-American), love for the navy and a common belief in the superiority of Anglo-Saxon institutions. Above all, it was cemented by shared enemies: Nazi Germany and Imperial Japan. On these foundations, Churchill and Roosevelt constructed a fighting alliance unlike any other in history. A Combined Chiefs of Staff, Anglo-American war-making boards, and an atomic alliance helped to deliver victory in 1945. The two men also developed an extraordinary personal relationship, communicating almost daily. Their camaraderie ended abruptly with Roosevelt's death on 12 April 1945, just hours before American and British troops liberated Buchenwald and Belsen. At the heart of this special relationship, hidden by layers of secrecy, was a far-reaching sharing of intelligence which would endure well beyond their own premierships. In this fascinating account, David Stafford draws on declassified information and his own specialist understanding of intelligence to illuminate the relationship between two men who, as leaders and allies, were ...

Genre: History

The Staircase of Life: The Story of the Origin and Evolution of Life and Humankind by Gerard Alexander Willighagen (9 Reviews)    Price verified 58 minutes ago

Even though we are all different in our own ways, we all have an underlying thread in common: our evolution, our history. However, only roughly 0.0001% of the Earth's whole history has been occupied by human beings with behaviorally contemporary traits. We are, in fact, right at the start of everything. Yet, in order to survive even for such a short period of time, a seemingly unending line of fortunate events was necessary. But what were these fortunate events? How did Homo sapiens get here after many billion years and virtually infinite evolutionary crossroads? How did humankind ultimately conquer the world? And how did life emerge in the first place? In this epic and compelling story, Gerard Alexander Willighagen strives to answer these and many more intriguing questions by taking you through space and time to explore the origins of life, the evolution and rise of Homo sapiens, the dawn and development of civilization, and the emergence and formation of the modern world we know today. In the process of meandering through this multi-billion-year story, we'll come to appreciate the incredible good fortune that all living organisms, including our own highly evolved yet essentially Stone Age-wired species, have of just simply existing. So, let's take a huge step back in time -- right at the initial steps of life -- to ponder how exceptional our story truly is. However, as a short sneak peek in advance: our story is indeed exceptional, notable, and utterly captivating.

Genre: History